The Balkan Peninsula is called Southeastern Europe. On the territory of the Balkan Peninsula, many states are partially or fully located. Among them: Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia (most of it), Macedonia, Greece, Bosnia, Albania, Montenegro. A very small part of the lands of the Balkan Peninsula belongs to Italy (Trieste province), Romania and Turkey. The Balkans also border on Russia and Austria and are located at the border of Europe and Asia.
The peninsula is washed by many seas - Black, Mediterranean, Aegean, Ionian, Marmara, Adriatic. It is noteworthy that the coastal part is very indented, so it boasts a lot of attractive islands that wash different seas.
The Balkans are the cradle of many civilizations. Everything here is European, but at the same time native - tavernas, landscapes, and related Slavic languages.
origin of name
The name of the Balkan Peninsula comes from the mountain range, which was earlier called the Balkan Mountains. Today it is called Stara Planina. The mountain range is located in Bulgaria and crosses the whole country. The word Balkan dates back to Turkish and translates as "a large mountain covered with trees."
The Balkans were called the powder keg of Europe. Why?
Indeed, the Balkans were and remain today the powder keg of Europe. This is due to several factors. We will consider them below.
Power struggle
Even in the Middle Ages, Byzantium, Serbia and the Bulgarian kingdom fought for the possession of this territory . At the end of the 16th century, this region was almost completely subordinated to the Ottoman Empire. Over the next 550 years, it remained the least developed region of Europe.
For more than a century, the situation on the Balkan Peninsula has been constantly aggravated. So, why did the Balkans call the powder keg of Europe at the beginning of the 20th century?
In 1908, the first serious conflict broke out between Austria-Hungary, Russia and the Slavic countries. The first announced the accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This caused a sharp protest from nearby countries. However, Austria-Hungary was supported by Germany. Russia had to give in.
War and war again
In 1911, during the Italo-Turkish War, Turkey lost. Encouraged by her defeat, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Greece opposed Turkey and recaptured most of its lands. They went to Bulgaria. Now, under the threat of war because of the acquired lands, Bulgarians turned out to be attacking Greece and Serbia themselves without waiting for the attack. But they lost. These feuds were only the beginning. Subsequently, the First World War broke out, lasting from 1914 to 1918.
The First World War destroyed 4 great empires - German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman. It all started with the declaration of war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. Subsequently, the military agony swept many countries.
Finally
That is why the Balkans are called the powder keg of Europe (we presented a brief description of the problem). There is no peace on the Balkan Peninsula - there is no peace in Europe, and not only in it. Any, even a small spark can lead to unpleasant consequences in the form of a real fire. And all of Europe will be in the flames of war.
Today, every European power (and now America has joined them) is striving to exert its influence on the Balkans. After all, here the interests of the leading countries of Europe and Asia are crossed, multiple migration routes lie. We must not forget about the differences in culture and religion. Catholics, Muslims and Orthodox live here.
The Balkans - a region of eternal war for the land. The territory on the border of the Islamic and Christian worlds is constantly threatened by political wars. That is why the Balkans were called the powder keg of Europe.