States of the Western Balkans. Balkan countries

When planning to get acquainted with new countries, take a close look at the map of the Balkan Peninsula. These lands can offer travelers unexpected but pleasant surprises; here history, art, and the fusion of a wide variety of cultures create amazing routes for family vacations, active pastimes, and even exotic travel.

Unique and bustling city centers, historical sites from different eras, museums replete with a variety of artifacts, distinctive architecture, lively embankments and pedestrian streets full of restaurants and cafes...

And the Balkan Peninsula and its map are famous for their unique natural landscapes, which create ample opportunities for active recreation, including on mountain lakes, in winter - skiing from the mountains, in summer - historical tourism, introducing you to the ruins of ancient civilizations. Add the fact that the Balkan countries themselves are quite compact, but at the same time they have a very developed transport infrastructure, and the prices for holidays here are quite low, which makes them undoubtedly very interesting for the budget traveler. In addition, a significant part of the population in the Balkans is Slavic peoples, close to us in spirit, and in religion, and in character...

Map of the countries of the Balkan Peninsula

The countries on the map of the Balkan Peninsula, whose territory is partially or completely within the Balkans, include: Albania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Romania, Turkey.

The European Union includes Greece, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania, so to visit these countries you need a Schengen visa. Other countries listed above offer visa-free regime entry into your territory.

Balkan Peninsula visa map

The majority of countries on the Balkan Peninsula practice visa-free entry. For example, the Republic of Macedonia in once again unilaterally extended the possibility of free entry for our compatriots. The visa-free regime, which has been in effect continuously in this country since March 15, 2012, has now been extended once again for citizens of the Russian Federation and Ukraine - until March 15, 2020.

You can also visit Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina without a visa. Until recently, Croatia also had a visa-free regime, but after joining the European Union, it introduced Schengen visas (see the post “Visa to Croatia”). Montenegro today is also a visa-free country (see "Montenegro summer").

You can stay continuously in the territory of visa-free Balkan countries for 30-90 days within a six-month period.

Holiday season in the Balkans

The best time for a holiday in the Balkans is May-September, and for those who love skiing - January-February.

Macedonia and Serbia are landlocked, but relaxing on the mountain lakes of these countries and at their balneological resorts can be an excellent addition to excursion tours in the Balkans.

In the north and northwest, the Balkan Peninsula, which is part of Southern Europe, borders countries such as Austria, Hungary and Italy.

Climate and weather

The north of the Balkan Peninsula and its central regions (Serbia, Slovenia, partly Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina) have a moderate continental climate, which is characterized by cold, snowy winters and hot weather, dry summer. Here in July average temperature is about 22 -25C; in January, the air temperature ranges from -1C in the plains and -5C in the Balkan Mountains.

Balkans video

The climate in the south and west (Greece, Turkey, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia) is typical subtropical Mediterranean, characterized by hot summers and cool winters. In July the average air temperature is 26C, and in January + 10C.

The climate in the northeast (part of Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria) is characterized by warm summer and cool winter. In July, the average air temperature here is 22C, and in January + 5C.

Macedonia is famous for its hot and dry weather in summer and wet and cold winter, which is typical of a continental climate. In the south of this country the climate is reminiscent of the Mediterranean - mild and warm. In July, the warmest month of summer, the average air temperature is +22C. In January you can expect mild frosts with temperatures of -3C.

Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Meteora (Greece)

In the southeast of Europe, on the huge Balkan Peninsula, there are many countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro And Serbia fit there entirely, Croatia half, and Slovenia a third. On the same peninsula are small parts of the territories of countries such as Romania (9%) and Turkey (5%).

The mountains of the Balkan Peninsula are not very high. In the west there is the vast Dinaric Highlands and the Pindus Mountains, which in the south merge into the mountains of the Peloponnese Peninsula. In the north, in the Rila massif, there is the highest point of the Balkan Peninsula - Mount Musala (2925 m), where the Stara Planina, or Balkans, and the Rhodope Mountains also extend. There are few plains; they lie along the outskirts of the peninsula and in intermountain basins.

Once upon a time, this mountainous peninsula was almost entirely covered with forests. But people cut them down to make way for fields, orchards and vineyards. And livestock, especially goats, destroyed young growth of tree species. Now there are few forests left on the peninsula.

In ancient times, Greeks, Macedonians, Illyrians, Thracians and other ancient peoples lived in this territory. The Slavs appeared here only in the 6th century. By the end of the 16th century. almost the entire Balkan Peninsula became part of Ottoman Empire. Therefore, some of the South Slavic peoples and Albanians converted to Islam. But most of the southern Slavs remained Christians, although the Slovenes and Croats who lived in the territory Austro-Hungarian Empire, are predominantly Catholic, while Serbs, Montenegrins, most Macedonians, Bulgarians, as well as Greeks and Romanians are Orthodox.

The medieval city-museum of Dubrovnik in Croatia is included in the list of sites World Heritage UNESCO

The struggle of the Balkan peoples for independence from the Turocosmans was dramatic. Suffice it to say that people such as the great English poet Lord Byron (who died during the Greek War of Independence) took part in it. After the end of this war and the collapse of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires, part of the territories inhabited by the Slavs united into Yugoslavia. But at the end of the twentieth century. after bloody conflicts it broke up into six republics.

In the north-west of the Balkan Peninsula, in Slovenia, there is the Karst plateau (Dinaric Kras), after which amazing phenomena around the world are named: the formation of caves in rocks and underground rivers, stalactites and stalagmites.

Miscellaneous

Which countries are included in the Balkans, countries of the Balkan Peninsula

Countries that are among some of the Balkans: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Serbia

the phrase in the Western Balkans is primarily a political category, and indicates in almost all countries of South-Eastern Europe that are not members of the European Union The Western Balkans will be according to the former Yugoslavia without Slovenia, but with Albania
Sometimes..

this term includes Croatia and sometimes does not, there is no clear definition of this term.
public opinion Croatia is not satisfied with this approach of the European Union, because they are not usually considered part of Croatia, in the Balkans, and the fear is that the EU is in the process of rapprochement and entering Membership in each country will be considered individually, based on the progress in each country, i.e. .e. Croatia will “wait” in any other country. there is also a fear that comes to rounding from Croatian to the new Yugoslavia
Geomorphological.

What countries are located on the Balkan Peninsula

", Western Balkans means the western part of the Balkan Mountains on the border between Bulgaria and Serbia, however, it has never been a fixed geographical term. Countries that are included among some of the Balkans..:
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Serbia

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Balkan countries

Balkan countries(Balkan countries), a state located on the Balkan Peninsula in the southwest.

Europe: Albania, mainland Greece, Bulgaria, Europe. part of Turkey, most of the first. Yugoslavia and southeast. Romania. Despite the 500th anniversary of the Ottoman yoke, people in these countries will have their own own language and religion, although they persecuted the Turks from time to time.

In the 19th century. In Turkey, the region's influence was weakened, and Russia and Austria entered into conflict in the Balkans. In 1912

Balkan Peninsula

for the opposite circle. The committee established the Balkan Union, which led to the Balkan Wars. The victory of Serbia in these wars and the struggle of Austria against pan-Slavism contributed to the outbreak of the First World War. In accordance with the Treaty of Versailles, they tried to create a democrat in the region. Board. However, they were not successful, and during the World War, authoritarian regimes were created in most countries.

Balkan Entente (Balkan Entente) (1934) provided for the unification of Bg. and ensuring the security of their borders. After 1945 B.G. they are distinguished by their commitment to the Council or the West. policy. In 1954, the Second Balkan Treaty was concluded between Yugoslavia, Greece and Turkey, which provided the army.

cooperation in case of aggression. But this union was soon interrupted by the Cyprus problem. In the nineties. The head of Yugoslavia has become a source of tension in the Balkans. In 1991, Macedonia, Croatia and Slovenia declared their independence.

Croatia had to defend its statehood in the war with Serbia, in which both sides demonstrated a century. cruelty. The three-year armed conflict in Bosnia ended with the participation of the UN through the signing of the so-called Dayton Accords and the creation of the independent state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serbia and Montenegro remained part of Yugoslavia. In 1999, he mediated the ethnic conflict in Kosovo, which is an integral part of Serbia. Indeed, Serbia has effectively lost control of Kosovo.

Since 1996, economic measures and UN sanctions against Yugoslavia have been adopted.

to this day)

Balkans or Balkan Peninsula— This is a peninsula located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The Balkan Peninsula is surrounded by the Adriatic, Black and Mediterranean seas.

Most of the peninsula is hills and mountains, but these are fertile plains.

Winters in the north are sometimes very cold, and summers can be very hot and dry.

The Balkan peninsula tapers south and bursts into shrouded caps and island chains.

Balkan countries

This is Greece, a land of dark rocks, blue seas, whitewashed houses, ancient ruins and medieval churches. Cities like Athens are full of reminders of the ancient Greek civilization, which greatly influenced the development of the entire world. Every year tourists come from all over the world. Farmers in the Balkans grow corn, sunflowers, melons, grapes, fruits, olives and tobacco. Greece has been a member of the European Union since 1981.

Living nationalities of the Balkan Peninsula: Slavs (Slovaks, Slovenes, Croats, Serbs), Gypsies, Hungarians (Hungarians), Romanians, Bulgarians, Turks, Albanians and Greeks.

Balkan countries

On the Balkan Peninsula the states are partially or completely located:

Albania
Bulgaria
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Greece
Italy
Kosovo
Macedonia
Romania
Serbia
Slovenia
turkey
Croatia
Montenegro

Conflicts in Yugoslavia

In 1990-1991, the former Yugoslavia invaded five countries - Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia and Macedonia. New borders emerged in 1990 in a bloody war, and Albania and Romania also suffered political unrest.

Where is it and how to get there

address: Europe, Balkan Peninsula

Balkan Peninsula or Balkans on the map

GPS coordinates: 41.859106, 21.083043

The Balkan Peninsula is located in the southeastern part of Europe.

Countries of the Balkan Peninsula

From the southwest, south and east it is located in the Mediterranean Sea, Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea, Marmara, Aegean Sea and Black Sea.

The northern borders of the peninsula are considered to be the nominal line to the Danube, Sava and Kolpa rivers, and the latter - from the source to the Kvarner Bay (see Fig.

Map of the Balkan Peninsula

There are 12 countries in whole or in part on the territory of the Balkan Peninsula:

Albania 100%
Bulgaria 100%
Bosnia and Herzegovina 100%
Greece 100%
Kosovo 100%
Macedonia 100%
Montenegro 100%
Serbia 73%
Croatia 49%
Slovenia 27%
Romania 9%
Türkiye 5%

All countries, with the exception of the Republic of Kosovo, are members of the United Nations.

The Republic of Kosovo has the status (at the UN) of partially recognized countries.

My friend:

Pattern:Peninsula

Balkan Peninsula(Slovenian.Balkanski polotok, Croatian.Balkanski poluotok, Bosnian.Balkansko poluostrvo, Template:Lang2, Roman.Peninsula Balcanică, Template:Lang2, Alb.Gadishulli Ballkanik, Greek.Βαλκανική χερσόνησος , tur.Balkan Yarımadası, Italian Penisola Balcanica, lat. . Paeninsula Balcanica) is located in southeastern Europe. Area - about 505 thousand km².

Where is the Balkan Peninsula located? Which countries are called Balkan?

It is washed by the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Ionian, Marmara, Cretan, Aegean and Black seas from the southwest, south and southeast. The coasts of the peninsula are strongly dissected. The relief is predominantly mountainous (Stara Planina, Rhodope Mountains, Dinaric Highlands, Pindus).

The northern border of the peninsula is considered to be a conventional line drawn along the Danube, Sava and Kupa rivers, and from the source of the latter to the Kvarner Bay.

Partially or completely located on the Balkan Peninsula.

and others...

The Dinaric Highlands begins north of the Istrian peninsula, where it meets the South-Eastern Alps. Further it extends from northwest to southeast, along the Adriatic coast to northern border Albania. Recent subsidence has caused the western marginal zone of the Dinaric Highlands to fragment and sink below sea level. This led to the formation of a highly dissected Dalmatian coast, accompanied by hundreds of large and small islands. Islands, peninsulas and bays are stretched along the coastline according to the strike of the mountain ranges ().

Most of the highlands are composed of Mesozoic limestones and Paleogene flysch. Limestones form ridges and vast plateaus, and loose flysch deposits fill the synclinal depressions between them. The predominance of limestone and heavy rainfall caused the development of karst processes in the western part of the highlands, which was also facilitated by the destruction of forest vegetation. In this area, the patterns of karst formation and shape were studied for the first time. karst relief(the name of the phenomenon itself comes from the name of the Karst plateau in the north-west of the Balkan Peninsula). In the Dinaric Highlands you can find all forms of the so-called “bare” or Mediterranean karst. Large areas have been turned into completely barren and impassable carr fields, where there is neither soil nor vegetation (). The underground forms of karst relief are varied - wells up to several hundred meters deep, branched caves reaching many kilometers in length. Of the caves, Postojnska, east of Trieste, is especially famous.

The karst zone of the Dinaric Highlands is almost devoid of surface watercourses, but there are many karst rivers that disappear and reappear on the surface. The population in this part of the region is sparse and concentrated mainly in the fields, due to the existence of springs and the formation of a cover of red-colored weathering crust.

Continuing south under the name Pindus, the mountains occupy almost all of Albania and the western part of Northern Greece, the Peloponnese peninsula and the island of Crete. Almost everywhere they approach directly to the coast, and only within Albania there is a strip of coastal hilly plain up to several tens of kilometers wide between the mountains and the sea. The Pinda ridges are composed of limestones, and the valleys are composed of flysch. The highest parts of the mountains are characterized by sharp forms and widespread karst. The slopes of the ridges are usually steep and devoid of vegetation. The highest peak of Pindus is Mount Zmolikas in Greece (2637 m). The entire Pinda system experienced severe fragmentation, which is reflected in the relief features and the nature of the coastline. The coast is indented by large bays and small bays, and the transverse type of dissection predominates. A continuation of the mountain ranges of the western part of the Pindus are the Ionian Islands, recently separated from the mainland, deeply dissected and surrounded by shallow waters. The Gulf of Corinth, a significant area, separates the Peloponnese peninsula from the rest of the land, with which it is connected only by the Isthmus of Corinth, about 6 km wide. A canal dug at the narrowest point of the isthmus separated the Peloponnese from the Balkan Peninsula (). The Peloponnese itself is dissected by large bays-grabens and forms four lobed peninsulas in the south.

The interior of the Balkan Peninsula is occupied by the ancient Thracian-Macedonian massif. In the Neogene, the massif was fragmented into mountain uplifts separated by depressions. Initially, these depressions were occupied by the sea, which later broke up into a number of lakes. By the beginning of the Quaternary period, the lakes gradually dried up, and terrace steps appeared on the slopes of the basins, indicating a consistent decrease in their level. The bottoms of the basins are flat or slightly hilly and are located on different heights. The population is concentrated in the basins. In the center of each basin there is usually a city or a large village, the name of which is the basin (for example, the Skopje basin in Macedonia, Samokovskaya in Bulgaria). The most extensive basins on the Balkan Peninsula are located along the Maritsa River: Upper Thracian - in Bulgaria, Lower Thracian - on the border between Greece and Turkey. In the middle part of Greece there is the vast Thessalian Basin, the center of an ancient agricultural culture.

Between the basins, areas of mountain crystalline massifs rise. Later processes, especially glaciation, dissected the relief of some massifs and created a complex of high-mountain forms. The highest massifs of this part of the Balkan Peninsula are Rila, Pirin () and the Rhodope Mountains () in Bulgaria, and the isolated Olympus massif in Greece. The highest massif of the Balkan Peninsula is the Rila Mountains (up to 2925 m). The calm outlines of the relief of the lower part of the mountains are replaced by sharp mountain-glacial forms on the peaks (). Snow lingers there most of the summer and gives rise to avalanches.

Relief. Thus, the relief of the entire Balkan Peninsula as a whole is characterized by dissection, which is the result of vertical movements of the end of the Neogene and the beginning of the Quaternary period, which covered folded structures of various ages. Recent tectonics have led to the creation of the mountain-basin relief that is so characteristic of this region. Tectonic activity has not ended at the present time, as evidenced by frequent earthquakes in different areas. The most recent catastrophic event was the 1963 earthquake, which destroyed large parts of the city of Skopje in Macedonia.

Useful fossils. The bowels of the Balkan Peninsula are especially rich in ores of various metals. In Serbia, in the area of the city of Bor, there are significant reserves in young volcanic rocks copper ores; In the ancient crystalline massifs of Greece and Bulgaria, deposits of chromites, iron ores, manganese and lead-zinc ores are common. There are large reserves of chrome and copper ores in the mountains of Albania. Along the entire Adriatic coast and on the islands, bauxite occurs in the strata of Cretaceous sediments.

In the Paleogene deposits of intramountain basins there are deposits of brown coal. There is oil in the sediments of foothill troughs in Albania and Bulgaria. Albania has the world's largest deposits of natural asphalt. Many rocks on the Balkan Peninsula are valuable building materials (marble, limestone, etc.).

Climatic conditions. A typically Mediterranean climate is characteristic only of a relatively narrow strip of the western and southern coasts of the Balkan Peninsula. In the north and in its inland parts the climate is temperate with a touch of continentality. These features are due to the fact that the Balkan Peninsula occupies the extreme eastern position within the European Mediterranean and is closely connected with the mainland. In the north, between the peninsula and the rest of Europe, there are no significant orographic boundaries, and continental air temperate latitudes freely penetrates the peninsula at all times of the year. Coastal areas occupy a more southern position and are protected by mountain ranges from the penetration of continental air masses.

Mountainous terrain plays a major role in shaping the climate of the Balkan Peninsula. The difference in the climate of basins and mountain ranges is manifested primarily in the annual amount of precipitation: plains and basins usually receive no more than 500-700 mm, while more than 1000 mm falls on mountain slopes, especially on the western ones. The climate of the Bulgarian Plateau is characterized by the greatest continentality, where winter frosts can reach -25 ° C; maximum precipitation occurs in the first half of summer. This part of Bulgaria suffers from droughts quite often. In winter there is stable snow cover, with snow appearing around the second half of November. The most severe frosts in this area are associated with breakthroughs of relatively cold continental air masses coming from the northeast. In the mountain basins of the peninsula, thanks to their more southern position the climate is warmer, but also with a distinct continental flavor. The average winter temperature is negative, although only slightly below 0 °C. Almost every winter, significant temperature inversions are observed, when on the mountain slopes it is relatively warm, and in the depressions frosts reach -8...-10 °C.

The climate of the mountain ranges of the northern and central parts of the Balkan Peninsula is more humid and cooler. Winter temperature differs little from the temperature of the basins, but summer in the mountains is much cooler and winter comes much earlier than in the lowland areas. In November, when it still rains in the Sofia Basin, located at a high altitude above sea level, there is already snow in the Balkans or Rila and most of the passes are closed due to snow drifts.

On the Dalmatian coast and islands, summers are dry and hot with predominantly cloudless weather; winters are mild and rainy, although in the northern part of the coast the maximum precipitation occurs not in winter, but in autumn. The annual rainfall on the coast is very high - the wettest areas of Europe are located there. On the shores of the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, in some years more than 5000 mm of precipitation falls. In closed fields and on mountain slopes protected from westerly winds, the amount of precipitation does not exceed 500-600 mm per year. The average winter temperature along the entire coast is positive, but in its northern part every winter there are strong and very sharp drops in temperature due to the breakthrough of relatively cold masses of continental air. These air masses collapse from the Danube plains in the place where the Dinaric Highlands have the smallest width and smallest height. The air does not have time to warm up and spreads to the coast in the form of a cold hurricane wind, causing the temperature to drop below 0 ° C, icing of buildings, trees, and the surface of the earth. This phenomenon, very close in nature to the Black Sea nor'easter, is known as bora.

As you move south, the features of the Mediterranean climate appear more and more clearly. The average temperature of the winter and summer months increases, the maximum precipitation shifts to winter and its amount decreases. On the coast Aegean Sea, in South-Eastern Greece, the Mediterranean climate acquires some continental features, which is expressed mainly in a decrease in precipitation. For example, in Athens the average annual number of them is no more than 400 mm, the temperature of the hottest month is 27...28 °C, the coolest is 7...8 °C, there are temperature drops below 0 °C, sometimes snow falls (Fig. 39 ).

Rice. 39. Annual course of temperatures, precipitation and relative humidity in Southern Greece

The islands of the Aegean Sea also have a relatively dry climate. There it is probably the warmest compared to all other parts of the region.

Natural water. The water network of the Balkan Peninsula is not dense. There are almost no large navigable rivers; all rivers are characterized by sharp fluctuations in level and inconsistent regime. A significant part of the peninsula belongs to the middle Danube basin. The largest rivers are the Danube and its tributary the Sava, flowing along the northern edge of the peninsula. Significant tributaries Danube - Morava and Iskar rivers; Sava - Drina River. The large rivers Maritsa, Strimon (Struma), Vardar, Aliakmon and Pinyos flow into the Aegean Sea. The watershed between the Danube basin and the Aegean Sea is the Stara Planina, the Rhodope Mountains and Rila. There are especially many watercourses in the Rila Mountains, which give rise to large and small rivers; Iskar and Maritsa start from there. The basins of the Adriatic and Ionian seas have short rivers, since the main watershed of the Balkan Peninsula runs through the Dinaric Mountains and is close to its western edge. On most rivers of the Balkan Peninsula, high water occurs in winter or autumn; then they represent turbulent streams carrying masses of muddy water. In summer, many rivers become very shallow, and small rivers in the southeast dry up. In some rivers the ratio of levels during low water and high water is 1:100 and even 1:200. Typically, the nature of the river flow in the upper reaches is mountainous; in the lower reaches they go out onto the plains and are slow-flowing watercourses that do not have clearly defined valleys. In the past, during floods, these rivers overflowed and flooded large areas. This was the case, for example, in the northern plain of Bulgaria and the coastal plain of Albania. In the lower reaches of the rivers, wetlands formed, which were the center of the spread of malaria and were almost not populated. Currently conducting great work to prevent river floods, drain wetlands and transform them into land suitable for ploughing.

Along with excessively wet areas, there are many areas on the Balkan Peninsula where agriculture systematically suffers from droughts. For rational use These areas, for example the lowlands of the upper and lower Maritsa and most of the closed intermountain basins, require artificial irrigation. A network of irrigation canals cuts through the Maritsa Lowland in Bulgaria; irrigation systems are being created on the Bulgarian Plateau, in the Sofia Basin and other areas.

Power plants have been and are being built on many rivers of the Balkan Peninsula. Very large works have been carried out at Iskar in Bulgaria. In the upper reaches of the river, reservoirs (yazovirs) were built, power plants were built and the irrigation system of the Sofia Basin was created.

The lakes of the Balkan Peninsula belong to different geological stages of development of the territory. The largest of them are of tectonic or karst-tectonic origin: Shkoder in the north of Albania, Ohrid and Prespa on the border of Albania, Macedonia and Greece. On the Dinaric Highlands and in the Pindus Mountains, lakes are usually small in area, but deep (). In some karst lakes, the water disappears during the dry season.

Vegetation. Predominance mountainous terrain, diversity of climatic conditions and heterogeneity of runoff create great diversity of soil and vegetation cover. The climatic conditions of most of the region are favorable for forest growth, but the natural forest vegetation there has been severely destroyed. Along with this, there are areas that were originally treeless. The floristic composition of the vegetation of the Balkan Peninsula is richer than in other parts of the Mediterranean, since during the glaciation the heat-loving Neogene flora found shelter there. On the other hand, the Balkan Peninsula was the center of ancient civilizations in Europe; vegetation has changed significantly under human influence.

The vegetation and soil cover of the northern and central parts of the region is characterized by a combination of forest and steppe types. Forests and their corresponding soils are common in mountainous regions; plains and intramountain basins are treeless, and steppe soils predominate within them.

Modern landscapes of the Bulgarian Plateau, Maritsa Lowland and inland basins do not give an idea of the original vegetation cover, since these land and climatic resources are intensively used. On the Bulgarian Plateau, among the flat, cultivated surface, covered with chernozem-like soils, only isolated trees have been preserved. The Maritsa lowland has been even more developed. It is a mosaic of fields of rice, cotton, tobacco, vineyards and gardens, lined with irrigation canals. Many fields are planted with sparsely planted fruit trees, making better use of the fertile lowland soils. In the natural vegetation cover of the Thracian lowlands and the Black Sea coast, elements of the Mediterranean flora appear. There you can find some evergreen shrubs, as well as ivy covering the tree trunks.

The lower parts of the slopes of the mountain ranges of the Balkan Peninsula are most often covered with thickets of bushes, in which both deciduous and some evergreen species (the so-called shiblyak) are found (). They usually appear on the site of cleared forests. Deciduous forests rise into the mountains up to a height of 1000-1200 m. various types oak mixed with beech, hornbeam and other broad-leaved species (). On some mountain ranges they give way to tall trees coniferous forests from Balkan and Central European species of pine, spruce and fir. Such valuable and relatively little destroyed forests occupy the slopes of the Rila, Pirin and Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria (). At an altitude of about 1500-1800 m, the forests turn into subalpine bush thickets of rhododendron, juniper and heather. The highest mountain ranges are covered with alpine meadows, which are used as pastures.

In mountainous regions, human impact on nature is felt at high altitudes. Wheat fields in some places rise to an altitude of 1100-1300 m, the upper border of orchards is slightly lower, and the lowest parts of the slopes of southern exposure are occupied by vineyards.

Areas with a Mediterranean climate also have corresponding soil and vegetation cover. The soils of the coastal lowlands of Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and Greece under evergreen vegetation are red soil (on limestone) or brown. The upper limit of the distribution of subtropical soils and vegetation increases as one moves from north to south. In the northern part of the Adriatic coast it does not rise above 300-400 m above sea level, in southern Greece it passes at an altitude of about 1000 m or more.

Vegetation of the western part of the peninsula, receiving large number precipitation, is richer than the vegetation of the dry southeast. The natural and cultural vegetation of the Ionian Islands is particularly diverse and lush, while some islands of the Aegean Sea are almost completely deserted and scorched by the sun.

In the western regions, maquis is widespread, which covers the coast and the lower parts of the mountain slopes; in the southeast, the more xerophytic phrygana predominates; higher in the mountains they are replaced by shiblyak. In some places, small areas of Mediterranean forests of evergreen oaks, maritime pine and laurel remain. On the coast and lower mountain slopes, natural vegetation is in most cases replaced by cultivated vegetation. A significant area is occupied by olive groves, which, as they move south, rise higher into the mountains, citrus orchards, which appear in the southern part of Croatia and are widespread in Albania and Greece (especially in the Peloponnese). In Serbia and Montenegro, large areas are occupied by various fruit trees: apple trees, pears, plums, apricots. There are many vineyards on the mountain slopes in areas with a warm Mediterranean climate. They rise especially high on terraced slopes in southern Greece.

Above the belt of Mediterranean vegetation, deciduous forests of oak, maple, linden and other broad-leaved species are common. There are many evergreens in the understory. Broad-leaved forests on the coastal mountain ranges have undergone significant destruction. In many places, forests have suffered from overgrazing by livestock (goats and sheep) and logging for fuel. Especially many forests have been cleared on the limestone plateaus in the area of the so-called Dinaric karst, as well as in the Pinda Mountains in Greece. Some sections of these plateaus have been turned into a real desert, devoid of soil, covered with rubble and large blocks of limestone (). Arable lands are confined to fields where the products of limestone destruction accumulate in the form of the so-called terra rossa. Along with the fields, there are meadows used as pastures, and even rare forest vegetation - the remnants of former broad-leaved forests.

Animal world. The fauna of the Balkan Peninsula contains elements of both Central European and typically Mediterranean fauna. In some sparsely populated areas The fauna is well preserved, but some large animals have long since disappeared without a trace. For example, it is known that in ancient times lions lived in the south of the peninsula.

In the riverine and swampy thickets of some areas of the peninsula, wild boar is found; deer and chamois are still preserved in mountain forests; On the islands of the Aegean Sea there is a wild goat - the ancestor of the domestic goat. In the most remote mountain areas you can sometimes see a brown bear. There are many rodents, among which hares occupy the first place in number.

The bird fauna is diverse. Predators include the vulture, falcon and serpent eagle. Passerines and woodpeckers are very widely represented; pheasants used to be found. Among the typically Mediterranean animals there are numerous reptiles, especially lizards, and there are vipers and small boa constrictors. In the south there is an endemic Greek tortoise.

The rivers and lakes of the Danube and Adriatic Sea basins are rich in fish. The southern part of the peninsula, which belongs to the Aegean Sea basin, is relatively poor in freshwater fauna.

See also nature photographs of the Balkan Peninsula(with geographical and biological captions for photographs) from the section

The northern border of the Balkan Peninsula is drawn along the flow of the Sava and Danube, and in the east - from the latitudinal section of the Danube, approximately 44° N. sh., to the Black Sea. In the west, the region is washed by the Adriatic and Ionian seas. In the east, ero is limited by the Black Sea, the Bosphorus, the Dardanelles and the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean. The region also includes numerous islands of the Ionian and Aegean seas and the island of Crete.

Massive and wide in the north, the Balkan Peninsula narrows to the south, and the dismemberment of its coasts increases. The surface of the Balkan Peninsula is mountainous. The name itself comes from Turkish word“balkan”, which means “mountain”. Plains, lowlands and basins occupy a relatively small area.

The modern contours and topography of the land were formed as a result of the movements of the end of the Neogene and the beginning of the Anthropocene. The Aegean Sea was formed on the site of the fragmented and sank land that connected the Balkans with Asia Minor. The islands of the Aegean Sea represent the remnants of this land, and the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits arose as a result of the subsidence and flooding of wide river valleys that existed in the Neogene. On the western and northeastern outskirts of the Balkan peninsula, mountain systems of Cenozoic age rise; its inner part is filled with a rigid middle massif, which experienced splits in the Neogene.

In the northeast of the peninsula, the Balkan Mountains, or Stara Planina, as they are called in Bulgaria, stretch in an arc convex to the south. In terms of age of folding and structure, the Balkans are close to the Carpathians and obviously belong to the system of structures of the Alpine folded belt, which continues through Dobruja to the Crimean Peninsula.

The northern slope of the Balkans gradually turns into the foothill Bulgarian plateau, which, in turn, descends to the Lower Danube lowland. The Bulgarian plateau and the northern slope of the Stara Planina are dissected by deep valleys, and the Iskar River cuts right through the Balkans, forming the famous Iskar Gorge, through which pass railway and the highway to Sofia. The highest, central part of the mountains is composed of crystalline rocks. Its maximum height is 2376 m (Mount Botev), the passes lie at altitudes significantly exceeding 1000 m. The Shipka Pass is a road in memory of the Russian and Bulgarian peoples during the war of 1877-1878, when Russian troops, together with the Bulgarian ones, liberated Bulgaria from Turkish rule.

At the southern foot of Stara Planina lie the Trans-Balkan basins - Sofia, Karlovskaya, Kazanlakskaya and Slivenskaya. The most extensive Sofia Basin has a height of 500 m, the rest are somewhat lower. The transition from mountains to basins is expressed very sharply in the relief. The bottom of the basins is flat, and the surrounding mountains are visible from each point.

From the south, the Trans-Balkan basins are closed by a mountain range called Sredna Gora in Bulgaria, and in Russian literature known as the Anti-Balkans. In terms of geological structure, the Anti-Balkans are close to the Balkans, but inferior to them in height. Precipitating steeply to the north, towards the basins, they descend more gently to the south.

Another mountain system of the Balkan Peninsula stretches along its western edge from north to south and passes to the coastal islands. It is more extensive than the Balkans and more complexly built. These are the Dinaric Highlands and Pindus.

The Dinaric Highlands begins north of the Istrian peninsula, where it meets the South-Eastern Alps. Further it extends from northwest to southeast, along the Adriatic coast to the northern border of Albania. Recent subsidence has caused the fragmentation of the western marginal zone of the Dinaric Highlands and its subsidence below sea level. This led to the formation of a highly dissected Dalmatian coast, accompanied by hundreds of large and small islands. Islands, peninsulas and bays are stretched along the coastline in accordance with the extent of the mountain ranges.

Most of the highlands are composed of Mesozoic limestones and Paleogene flysch. Limestones make up ridges and vast plateaus, and loose flysch deposits fill the synclinal depressions between them. The predominance of limestones and heavy rainfall caused the development of karst processes in the western part of the highland. This was also facilitated by the destruction of forest vegetation. In this area, the patterns of karst formation and the shape of karst relief were studied for the first time (the name of the phenomenon itself comes from the name of the Karst plateau in the north-west of the Balkan Peninsula). In the Dinaric Highlands you can find all forms of the so-called “bare” or Mediterranean karst. Large areas have been turned into completely barren and impassable carr fields, where there is neither soil nor vegetation. The underground forms of karst relief are varied - wells up to several hundred meters deep, branched caves reaching many kilometers in length. Of the caves, Postojnska is especially famous , east of Trieste.

The karst zone of the Dinaric Highlands is almost devoid of surface watercourses, but there are many karst rivers that disappear and reappear on the surface. The population in this part of the region is sparse and concentrated mainly in the fields where springs emerge and a cover of red-colored weathering crust forms.

Continuing south under the name Pindus, the mountains occupy almost all of Albania and the western part of Northern Greece, the Peloponnese peninsula and the island of Crete. Almost everywhere they approach directly to the coast, and only within Albania there is a strip of coastal hilly plain up to several tens of kilometers wide between the mountains and the sea. The Pinda ridges are composed of limestones, and the valleys are made of flysch. The highest parts of the mountains are characterized by sharp shapes and a wide distribution of karst. The slopes of the ridges are usually steep and devoid of vegetation. The highest peak of Pindus is Mount Zmolikas in Greece (2637 m). The entire Pinda system experienced severe fragmentation, which is reflected in the relief features and the nature of the coastline. The coast is cut by large bays and small bays, and the transverse type of dissection predominates. A continuation of the mountain ranges of the western part of Pindus are the Ionian Islands, recently separated from the mainland, deeply dissected and surrounded by shallow waters. The large Gulf of Corinth separates the Peloponnese peninsula, connected to the rest of the land only by the Isthmus of Corinth, about 6 km wide. A canal dug at the narrowest point of the isthmus separated the Peloponnese from the Balkan Peninsula. The Peloponnese itself is dissected by large bays-grabens and forms four lobed peninsulas in the south.

The interior of the Balkan Peninsula is occupied by the ancient Macedonian-Thracian massif. In the Neogene, the massif was fragmented into mountain uplifts separated by depressions. Initially, these depressions were occupied by the sea, which subsequently broke up into a number of lakes. By the beginning of the Anthropocene, the lakes gradually dried up, and terrace steps appeared on the slopes of the basins, indicating a consistent decrease in the level of the lakes. The bottoms of the basins are flat or slightly hilly and lie at different heights. Dense populations are concentrated in the basins. The center of each basin is usually a city or a large village, the name of which is the basin (for example, the Skop-le basin in Yugoslavia, Samokovskaya in Bulgaria). The most extensive basins on the Balkan Peninsula lie along the Maritsa River: Upper Thracian - in Bulgaria, Lower Thracian - along the border between Greece and Turkey. In the middle part of Greece there is the vast Thessalian Basin, the center of an ancient agricultural culture.

Between the basins, sections of mountain crystalline massifs rise. Later processes, especially glaciation, dissected the relief of some massifs and created a complex of high-mountain forms. The highest massifs in this part of the Balkan Peninsula are Rila, Pirin and the Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria, and the isolated Olympus massif in Greece. The highest massif of the Balkan Peninsula is the Rila Mountains. Their highest peak reaches 2925 m. The calm outlines of the relief of the lower part of the mountains are replaced by sharp mountain-glacial forms at the peaks. Snow lies there for most of the summer and gives rise to avalanches.

Thus, the relief of the entire Balkan Peninsula as a whole is characterized by dissection, which is the result of vertical movements of the end of the Neogene and the beginning of the Anthropocene, which covered folded structures of various ages. Thanks to this young tectonics, the mountain-basin relief was created, so characteristic of this region. Tectonic activity has not ended at the present time, as evidenced by frequent earthquakes in different areas. Its most recent manifestation was the catastrophic earthquake in 1963, which destroyed a significant part of the city of Skopje in Yugoslavia.

The bowels of the Balkan Peninsula are especially rich in ores of various metals. In Serbia, in the area of the city of Bor, there are significant reserves of copper ores in young volcanic rocks; chromite deposits are widespread in the ancient crystalline massifs of Yugoslavia, Greece and Bulgaria, iron ores, manganese and lead-zinc ores. Large reserves of chrome and copper ores are found in the mountains of Albania. Along the entire Adriatic coast and on the islands, bauxite occurs in the strata of Cretaceous sediments.

Many rocks on the Balkan Peninsula are valuable building materials(marble, limestone, etc.).

A typically Mediterranean climate is characteristic only of a relatively narrow strip of the western and southern coasts of the Balkan Peninsula. In the north and in its interior parts the climate is temperate, with a touch of continentality. These features are due to the fact that the Balkan Peninsula occupies the extreme eastern position within the European Mediterranean and is closely connected with the mainland. In the north, between the peninsula and the rest of Europe, there are no significant orographic boundaries, and the continental air of temperate latitudes freely penetrates the peninsula during all periods of the year. Coastal areas occupy a more southern position and are protected by mountain ranges from the penetration of continental air masses.

In the mountain basins of the peninsula, due to their more southern position, the climate is warmer, but also with a distinct continental tint. The average winter temperature is negative, although only slightly below 0° C. Almost every winter there are significant temperature inversions, when it is relatively warm on the mountain slopes, and frosts in the basins reach - 8 - 10 ° C.

The climate of the mountain ranges of the northern and. The central parts of the Balkan Peninsula are more humid and cooler. The winter temperature differs little from the temperature of the basins, but the summer in the mountains is much cooler and winter comes much earlier than in the lowland areas. In November, when it still rains in the Sofia Basin, located at a high altitude above sea level, there is already snow cover in the Balkans or Rila and most of the passes are closed due to snow drifts.

On the Dalmatian coast and islands, summers are dry and hot with predominantly cloudless weather; winters are mild and rainy, although in the northern part of the coast the maximum precipitation occurs not in winter, but in autumn. The annual rainfall on the coast is very high - the wettest areas of Europe are located there. On the shores of the Bay of Kotor in Yugoslavia, in some years more than 5000 mm of precipitation falls, but in closed fields and on mountain slopes protected from westerly winds, the amount of precipitation does not exceed 500-600 mm per year. The average winter temperature along the entire coast is positive, but in its northern part every winter there are strong and very sharp drops in temperature due to the breakthrough of relatively cold masses of continental air. These air masses fall from the Danube plains in the place where the Dinaric Mountains have the smallest width and smallest height. The air does not have time to warm up and spreads to the coast in the form of a cold hurricane wind, causing the temperature to drop below 0 ° C, icing of buildings, trees, and the surface of the earth. This phenomenon, very close in nature to the Black Sea nor'easter, is known as bora.

The further you go south, the more clearly the features of the Mediterranean climate appear. The average temperature of the winter and summer months increases, the maximum precipitation shifts to winter, and its amount decreases. On the coast of the Aegean Sea, in South-Eastern Greece, the Mediterranean climate acquires some continental features, which are primarily expressed in decreased precipitation. For example, in Athens, the average annual number of them is no more than 400 mm, the temperature of the hottest month is +27, -(-28 ° C, the coolest is +7, +8 ° C, there are temperature drops below 0 ° C, sometimes snow falls The climate is also relatively dry on the islands of the Aegean Sea, where it is probably the warmest compared to all other areas of the region.

The water network of the Balkan Peninsula is not dense. There are almost no large navigable rivers; all rivers are characterized by sharp fluctuations in level and inconsistent regime.

A significant part of the peninsula belongs to the middle Danube basin. The largest rivers are the Danube and its tributary the Sava, flowing along the northern edge of the peninsula. Significant tributaries of the Danube are the Morava and Iskar; Sava - Drina River. The large rivers Maritsa, Struma (Strimon), Vardar, Vistritsa and Penei flow into the Aegean Sea. The basins of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas have short rivers, since the main watershed of the Balkan Peninsula runs through the Dinaric Mountains and is close to its western edge.

The watershed between the Danube basin and the Aegean Sea is the Balkans, the Rhodope Mountains and the Rila. In the Rila Mountains there are especially many watercourses that give rise to large and small rivers; Iskar and Maritsa start from there.

On most rivers of the Balkan Peninsula, high water occurs in winter or autumn; then they represent turbulent streams carrying masses of muddy water. In summer, many rivers become very shallow, and small rivers in the southeast dry up.

Typically, the nature of the river flow in the upper reaches is mountainous; in the lower reaches they go out onto the plains and are slow-flowing watercourses that do not have clearly defined valleys. In the past, during floods, these rivers overflowed and flooded large areas. This was the case, for example, on the northern plain of Bulgaria and on the coastal plain of Albania. In the lower reaches of the rivers, wetlands formed, which were the center of the spread of malaria and were almost not populated. Currently, in socialist countries, a lot of work is being done to prevent river floods, drain wetlands and turn them into land suitable for ploughing.

Along with excessively wet areas, there are many areas on the Balkan Peninsula where agriculture systematically suffers from droughts. For the rational use of these areas, for example, the lowlands of the upper and lower Maritsa and most of the closed intermountain basins, artificial irrigation is necessary. A network of irrigation canals cuts through the Maritsa Lowland in Bulgaria; irrigation systems are being created on the Bulgarian Plateau, in the Sofia Basin and other areas.

Power plants have been built and are being built on many rivers of the Balkan Peninsula. Very large works have been carried out at Iskar in Bulgaria. In the upper reaches of the Iskar, reservoirs (yazovirs) were built, power plants were built and the irrigation system of the Sofia Basin was created.

The lakes of the Balkan Peninsula belong to various types. The largest of them are of tectonic or karst-tectonic origin: Shkodra and Ohrid on the border of Yugoslavia and Albania and on the border of Albania, Yugoslavia and Greece - Prespa. In the Dinaric Highlands and the Pindus Mountains, lakes are usually small in area but deep. In some karst lakes, the water disappears during the dry season.

Within the karst areas of the Dinaric Highlands there are also vast areas that are completely drainless or devoid of surface water. The population of these areas suffers especially greatly from a lack of drinking water.

Predominance of mountainous terrain, diversity climatic conditions and differences in the distribution of runoff create greater diversity of soil and vegetation cover. The climatic conditions of most of the region are favorable for forest growth, but the natural forest vegetation there has been severely destroyed. Along with this, there are areas that were originally treeless. The floristic composition of the vegetation of the Balkan Peninsula is richer than in other parts of the Mediterranean, since during the glaciation the heat-loving Neogene flora found shelter there. On the other hand, the Balkan Peninsula was a hotbed of ancient European cultures, the vegetation has been exposed to human influence for thousands of years and has changed significantly.

The vegetation and soil cover of the northern and central parts of the region is characterized by a combination of forest and steppe types. Forests and their corresponding soils are common in mountainous regions, while the plains and intramountain basins are treeless, and steppe soils predominate within them.

Modern landscapes of the Bulgarian Plateau, Maritsa Lowland and inland basins do not give an idea of their original vegetation cover, since their land and climatic resources are intensively used. On the Bulgarian Plateau, among the flat, cultivated surface, covered with chernozem-like soils, only isolated trees have been preserved. The Maritsa lowland has been even more developed. Its surface is a mosaic of fields of rice, cotton, tobacco, vineyards and gardens, lined with irrigation canals. Many fields are planted with sparsely standing fruit trees; This achieves better use of the fertile soils of the lowlands.

In the natural vegetation cover of the Maritsa lowland and the Black Sea coast, elements of the Mediterranean flora appear. There you can find some evergreen shrubs, as well as ivy covering the tree trunks.

The lower parts of the mountain slopes are most often covered with thickets of shrubs, in which both deciduous and some evergreen species are found. This is the so-called shiblyak, especially characteristic of the Balkan Peninsula. It usually appears on the site of cleared forests. Deciduous forests of various types of oak with an admixture of beech, hornbeam and other broad-leaved species rise into the mountains up to a height of 1000-1200 m. On some mountain ranges they give way to tall coniferous forests of Balkan and Central European species of pine, spruce and fir. Such valuable and relatively little destroyed forests cover the slopes of the Rila, Pirin and Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria. At an altitude of about 1500-1800 m, the forests turn into subalpine bush thickets of rhododendron, juniper and heather. The highest mountain ranges are covered alpine meadows which are used as pastures.

In mountainous regions, human influence on nature is felt up to high altitudes. In many places, wheat fields rise to a height of 1100-1300 m, the upper limit of orchards lies slightly lower, and the lowest parts of the southern-facing slopes are occupied by vineyards.

Areas with a Mediterranean climate also have corresponding soil and vegetation cover. The soils of the coastal lowlands of Yugoslavia, Albania and Greece under evergreen vegetation are red soil (on limestone) or brown. The upper limit of the distribution of subtropical soils and vegetation increases as you move from north to south. In the northern part of the Adriatic coast it does not rise above 300-400 m above sea level; in southern Greece its height is about 1000 m or more.

The vegetation of the western part of the peninsula, which receives large amounts of precipitation, is richer than that of the dry southeast. The natural and cultural vegetation of the Ionian Islands is especially diverse and lush, while some islands of the Aegean Sea are almost completely deserted and scorched by the sun.

In the western regions, maquis is widespread, which covers the coast and the lower parts of the mountain slopes; in the southeast, the more xerophytic phrygana predominates; higher in the mountains they are replaced by shiblyak. In some places, small areas of Mediterranean forests of evergreen oaks remain (Quercus ilex, Q. coccifera etc.), seaside pine and laurel. On the coast and lower parts of mountain slopes, natural vegetation is in most cases replaced by cultivated vegetation. A significant area is occupied by olive groves, which rise higher and higher into the mountains as they move south, and citrus orchards that appear in the southern part of the Yugoslav coast and are widespread in Albania and Greece (especially in the Peloponnese). In Yugoslavia, large areas are occupied by various fruit trees: apple trees, pears, plums, apricots. In all areas with a warm Mediterranean climate, there are many vineyards on the mountain slopes. They rise especially high on terraced slopes in Southern Greece.

Above the belt of Mediterranean vegetation and soils lies a belt of deciduous forests consisting of oak, maple, linden and other broad-leaved species. The undergrowth of these forests contains many evergreen plants. Broadleaf forests on the coastal mountain ranges were subjected to significant extermination. Deforestation was a sad consequence of a difficult period in the history of the Balkan countries - the rule of the Turkish Ottoman Empire.

In many places, forests have suffered from livestock grazing (goats and sheep) and logging for fuel. Especially many forests have been cleared on the limestone plateaus of Yugoslavia - in the area of the so-called Dinaric karst, as well as in the Pinda Mountains in Greece. In some places, these plateaus have been turned into a real desert, devoid of soil, covered with rubble and large blocks of limestone. Areas convenient for processing are usually found in fields where the products of limestone destruction accumulate in the form of the so-called terra rossa. There you can see small patches of plowed and sown land. Along with them, there are meadows used as pastures, and even rare forest vegetation - the remnants of former broad-leaved forests.

The fauna of the Balkan Peninsula contains elements of both Central European and typically Mediterranean fauna. In some sparsely populated areas, the fauna is well preserved, but some large animals have disappeared a long time ago and completely without a trace. For example, it is known that in historical times lions lived in the south of the peninsula.

Wild boar can be found in the riverine and swampy thickets of some areas of the peninsula; deer and chamois are still preserved in the mountain forests; On the islands of the Aegean Sea there is a wild goat - the ancestor of the domestic goat. In the most remote mountain areas you can sometimes see a brown bear. There are many rodents, among which hares occupy the first place in terms of numbers.

The bird fauna is diverse. Predators include the vulture, falcon and serpentine eagle. There are a lot of different passerines, woodpeckers, and there used to be a pheasant.

Among the typically Mediterranean animals, reptiles are numerous. There are especially many lizards, including a viper and a small boa constrictor. In the south there is an endemic Greek tortoise.

The rivers and lakes of the Danube and Adriatic Sea basins are rich in fish. The southern part of the peninsula, which belongs to the Aegean Sea basin, is relatively poor in freshwater fauna.

Serbia, and, also small parts of, and. The Balkan Peninsula is surrounded by the Mediterranean basin. To the west is the Adriatic and Ionian Sea, to the south is the Aegean Sea, to the southeast is the Sea of Marmara, and to the east is the Black Sea. The Bosphorus and Dardanelles separate the peninsula from. Of all the Balkan countries, only three do not have access to the sea - Serbia, Macedonia and Kosovo.

Relief

The Balkan Peninsula has exceptionally varied terrain, although most of its area is occupied by mountains. Most of them are young and belong to the Alpo-Himalayan mountain system. Therefore, the Balkan Peninsula is one of the most seismic zones in Europe, along with the island. The Balkan Mountains are medium in height. The highest point of the peninsula is the peak of Musala. It rises 2925 meters above sea level in the Rila Mountain in Southwestern Bulgaria. The longest chain is the Dinaric Highlands, which stretches along the entire coast of the Adriatic Sea. Between the high mountain ranges of the Balkans lie some of the most fertile plains on the continent. Coastline The peninsula is extremely dissected. The only coasts of Scandinavia can be compared with those in the Balkans. The coasts of Croatia and Greece are especially dissected. The southernmost part of the Balkans is occupied by the Peloponnese peninsulas. In order to reduce trade routes between the Aegean and Ionian seas, the Corinth Canal, whose length is about 5.8 kilometers, was dug.

Climate

The Balkan Peninsula has a varied climate and falls into two very different climatic regions. The northern parts of the peninsula have a distinct continental climate with hot summers and very cold winters. In Bucharest, the capital of Romania, the average January daytime temperature barely exceeds 1°C, and in July and August thermometers show more than 29°C. The southern parts of the peninsula are mild and pleasant, sometimes hot. In the Greek capital Athens, the average daily temperature in January is around 13°C, and in July and August it is around 34°C. There are also significant differences in precipitation ratios. For example, the western coast of the peninsula is considered one of the most precipitation places in Europe, when in the east and south precipitation is quite scarce. In winter, the large northern part of the peninsula receives heavy snowfall, when the southern coasts of the Aegean and Adriatic Sea rarely receive snow. it's raining, and when snow cover does form, it is usually thin and temporary.

Water

The Balkan Peninsula is rich in water, especially when it comes to mountainous areas. Large and many smaller rivers flow through the peninsula. The largest are the Danube, Sava, Morava and others. The most big lakes– these are Ohrid and Prespa (both are located between Albania and Macedonia), Lake Scutari between Montenegro and Albania and others. In the high parts of the Balkans you can see beautiful glacial lakes. The most impressive are the Seven Rila Lakes in Bulgaria, which are a major tourist attraction.

Nature

The beauty of the Balkans is proverbial. They certainly have the wildest and most lush nature in Europe. Dense and impenetrable deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests cover large parts of the mountain ranges and plains in this part of the world. Vegetation in the southernmost part of the peninsula and on the coast Mediterranean Sea it is predominantly evergreen, but in the greater northern part and far from seashore plants lose their leaves in winter months. Beautiful and fresh mountains, especially those in Bulgaria, attract lovers winter species sports from all over the world. In winter, a thick and long-lasting snow cover forms in the higher parts, and the ski tracks are excellent. The Balkans are well known for their magnificent beaches. The Dalmatian coast, which covers the western parts of the peninsula, is considered the most picturesque and green part of the Mediterranean. Greece however is considered a tourist paradise with its exceptionally beautiful white sandy beaches and crystal clear bays. Black Sea coast completely different. The beaches there are quite large and covered with golden sand.

Animal world

The fauna in the Balkans is extremely diverse. Among the dense mountain forests there are brown bears, wolves, foxes, jackals, wild cats, as well as smaller predators such as weasels and ferrets. In more secluded and isolated places, mainly in Macedonia, large quantities of rice are also found. Meet different types herbivores like deer, wild boars, wild horses and others. The Balkans are home to many bird species. Some reserves, such as Srebarna in Bulgaria, are home to many species on the verge of extinction and many species rare birds like a pink pelican. Many migratory birds nest in the Balkans, such as storks, cranes, swallows and others. Eagles, hawks, eagle owls and owls are found in forest areas. The Balkans are home to a huge variety of toads and lizards. There are different types of snakes, some of which are poisonous.

Cities

Five cities on the Balkan Peninsula have a population of over a million inhabitants: Istanbul (the largest city in Turkey), Athens (the capital of Greece), Bucharest (the capital of Romania), Sofia (the capital of Bulgaria) and Belgrade (the capital of Serbia). The largest, with a population of about 11 million inhabitants, is Istanbul, but it is partly located on a peninsula. Only the western half of the Turkish metropolis falls into the Balkans. Athens is actually the largest city located entirely in the Balkans. The Greek capital has a population of about 3.1 million inhabitants. In addition to those listed, other large cities on the peninsula are Thessaloniki, Skopje, Tirana, Zagreb, Sarajevo, Ljubljana, Plovdiv, Constanta and others.

Population

The population of the Balkan Peninsula is more than 70.5 million inhabitants. In relation to ethnic composition The Balkans are among the most diverse places on the continent. People with different ethnic origins live here, speaking dozens of languages. different languages. To Slavic language family includes Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian and Macedonian. Romanian is part of the Romance language family. Greek and Albanian languages are independent language groups and have no relatives, but Turkish, which is common in the southeastern part of the peninsula, is part of the Turkic language family. In this part of the continent live migrants from other parts of the world, mainly from and. IN recent years There is great interest among immigrants from developed Western countries such as Great Britain. They come here because of the good climate, beautiful nature, good food and low prices real estate. In addition to ethnicity and language, the Balkan region is also quite diverse in terms of religion. For example, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Macedonia Orthodox countries. Croatia, Slovenia and Italy are Catholic, and in Turkey the official religion is Islam. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christians slightly outnumber Muslims, and Albania is popular as one of the countries in Europe with the largest percentage of atheists. In the past, the Balkans was a land of numerous conflicts that stemmed from the great internal differences on the peninsula. Despite this, relations between countries in the region have been slowly improving in recent years, and many economic ties have already been created between some of them.

Economy

The Balkan Peninsula is still one of the poorest and most backward in the world. economically parts in Europe. Despite this, the local economy is experiencing significant growth as it struggles to catch up with the rest of the continent. The richer countries on the peninsula are Slovenia, Greece and Croatia, while Turkey's economy is the largest. At the other extreme are countries like Albania and Macedonia, which still have a fairly low standard of living. Particularly important for economic development Balkans – tourism industry and agriculture. During the years of the socialist regime, many states were inappropriately turned into industrial economies without the necessary base and traditions for this. If instead, the efforts of the economy were concentrated on the development of agriculture, today most would probably be more developed than the countries in Western Europe. It is a known fact that the Balkan Peninsula is one of the most fertile parts of Europe and has the potential to produce food products, which could satisfy most of the demand on the continent if only enough funds were invested. Dobrudja is considered the most fertile, often described as the “Granary of the Balkans”. It is located in the eastern part of the peninsula and covers parts of northeastern Bulgaria and southeastern Romania. Integration processes are currently taking place in the Balkans. Several countries are already part of the European Union, while others are still negotiating or expected to join the community soon.