Balkan Region

By Aryan Kumar Thakur of Class X ‘B’

What is the Balkan Region?

The Balkans also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a

geographic area in Southeast Europe. The region takes its name
from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the whole
of Bulgaria. The Balkan Peninsula is bordered by the Adriatic
Sea in the northwest, the Ionian Sea in the southwest, the Aegean
Sea in the south, the Turkish Straits in the east, and the Black
Sea in the northeast. The northern border of the peninsula is
variously defined.
Map of Balkan Peninsula(Coloured
Region)
Countries that comprise Balkans

▪ Albania
▪ Bosnia-Herzegovina
▪ Bulgaria
▪ Croatia
▪ Greece
▪ Montenegro
▪ Macedonia
▪ Romania
▪ Serbia
▪ Slovenia
▪ What made the Balkan Region so explosive?
– The disintegration of Ottoman Empire and the spread of
ideas which were considered as romantic nationalism were
the issues which made Balkans explosive. It was the
assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo,
which became the immediate cause of First World War.
▪ Name the major European Powers interested in extending control over
the Balkans Region?
– England, Austria Hungary, Germany and Russia, the great
West European powers, had developed a strong interest in
the region
Reasons Of Intense Conflict among big
powers in the Balkans region

▪ Its strategic geographical location was the main reason

most of the European nations coveted this landmass.
▪ Located at the crossroads of three major empires
(Ottoman, Russian and Austro-Hungarian) and with access
to several important waterways, the Balkan region was
strategically vital.